Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Ben Cacace

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Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, July 17th 2015 at 9:15pm. The highlights of today's tape are GREAT WHITE HERON, WHITE-FACED IBIS, WESTERN WILLET, RED PHALAROPE, ROYAL TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, grassland sparrows with BLUE GROSBEAK.

At dusk on Thursday a GREAT WHITE HERON was found at the spillgate area west of the tower at the JKF Sanctuary Tobay Beach Jones Beach.

The WHITE-FACED IBIS was last reported last Saturday on Captree Island east of the highway going south in the marshes north of the community.

Five WESTERN WILLETS highlighted by about 500-600 shorebirds were present last weekend at the Cupsogue flats north of Cupsogue County Park in Westhampton Dunes. A few hendersoni SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were present along with about 100 griseus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. Hundreds of LEAST SANDPIPERS and a hundred SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and a few DUNLIN. Also seen here was a ROYAL TERN.

The previously reported RED PHALAROPE was present through today at the Roosevelt Nature Center Jones Beach West End. The bird frequents rain pools and flats south of the nature center. A GULL-BILLED TERN was in this area last Saturday.

We have a report that the Richmond Avenue mound of the Fresh Kill landfill Staten Island now supports grasslands where yesterday 60 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, 4 BLUE GROSBEAKS, hundreds of SAVANNAH SPARROWS and 6 broods of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were surveyed. We do not believe that this area is open to the public. The RBA will investigate the possibility of public access and will advise.

We have also been advised that shorebird flats west of the Smith Point County Park Fire Island and Old Inlet are similar to those at Cupsogue and these areas should be investigated and may produce productive shorebird birding.

Tom Burke will be away this week please call in reports to Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.